So Long, Bay Area. We're Moving To Portland.

After over a decade in California, we're joining the mass exodus northward.

(Can you believe it?)

It's rare these days not to run into someone who knows someone who just moved to Portland or Seattle, or who is thinking about moving to Portland or Seattle, or who just put an offer on a house in Portland or Seattle.

We are some of those someones.

It's been coming for awhile now, really. About three days after Duke was born, overwhelmed and exhausted and feeling quite alone, I turned to my husband and said, "Maybe we need to move to Nebraska." And buddy, trust me: those are words I never, EVER expected to say.

Yoga philosopher Michael Stone posits that the idea that the nuclear family is sufficient for raising small children is actually a social fallacy. I so agree. There is such great truth in the cliché that it takes a village to raise a child. We learned that quickly, living there in stunningly-beautiful but oh-so-isolated Inverness. It was a hard and lonely first few months. Right away we turned our attention to landing somewhere long-term where the public schools were excellent and we could buy a nice house (not for $900k) and where we'd have family nearby.

That thought kind of simmered on the back burner until we heard from my Madison, Wisconsin-based sister Mariah that she and her husband Paul were considering a job offer in Portland. Robb works in Portland regularly, so we've always imagined that it might be a clever spot to land. And the prospect of living just minutes from my sis and bro-in-law and their two adorable daughters was exciting. So exciting.

So when Paul got the job, we got serious.

We'd looked at buying a few homes here in the North Bay, all of which were, well, let's be honest: shitholes. $400k shitholes, to be exact. 130-year-old houses needing to be gutted or torn down. Hoarders' paradises. Located in school districts that wouldn't even muster an "average" rating.

It was disheartening, to say the least.

As this and so manyother articles point out, the 1000-square-foot house that goes for $1 million here in the Bay Area goes for $375k in Portland. Now we're talking. Now that feels a little more reasonable. (Even though the real estate market there is now a feeding frenzy almost on par with San Francisco's, and most homes in inner Portland are already going for $50-60k over asking.)

The great news is we've bought a beautiful home in a hot Southeast Portland neighborhood full of hip cafes and cute coffee shops and libraries and parks and yoga studios (yep, yoga studios) and a sweet-ass Whole Foods-style market where I'm sure we'll spend all our money on raw brownies and organic vegetables. It feels like urbanity sans pretension, totally fast-paced and walkable, but also utterly idyllic and safe: a win-win in every regard. It's not far from Reed College, with its campus of lush green avenues, and within walking distance of a top-notch public elementary school that's not unlike something out of a Harry Potter book.

I do so deeply believe in public schools. As a proud product of South Dakota and Nebraska public schools, I have great gratitude for the populist Great Plains institutions that taught me how to value diversity and work hard and not take my economic privilege for granted. My mother was a long-time music teacher for Lincoln Public Schools, too, so it's really in our bones, you see?

But you can't send your kids to the public schools around here. They're horribly underfunded. (Don't even think about arts or music programs.) And the private schools here are outrageously expensive and competitive. (Paying the equivalent of a semester in college for kindergarten, just to be surrounded by a bunch of rich white kids and their helicopter parents? No thanks.)

Enter Portland.

Enter smart cousins who'll be like older sisters.

Enter green. Not brown, not dry, not on the precipice of drought-addled disaster. But green.

The move will happen sooner than we expected. Mid-August. (Yep, I know.) We're already halfway packed, thanks to my uber-motivated, uber-organized husband, who's filled the garage with carefully-labeled boxes and run through countless rolls of packing tape. I'll teach my regular classes through August 11th, and then we'll close things up here, the movers will pack the truck, and we'll head northward to settle into our new home before the autumn grey sets in.

So we are looking at a little over a month left here in the Bay.

It is oh-so-emotional, of course. I moved here in August 2003 (on the 11th, actually, funnily enough), chugging up California Street in my 5-speed Ford Festiva packed with all my worldly belongings. Right away I sensed that if I ever ended up having kids, this'd be the place where I'd want them to grow up. Ethnic and religious diversity, progressive politics, stellar weather, fantastic arts and music opportunities, breathtaking natural beauty; you name it.

And I will be incredibly sad to leave all those things behind. Not to mention the wonderful family and friends we've found here over the years. So bittersweet.

At the same time, the Bay Area is a very different place from the post-Dot-Com-bust San Francisco I encountered in 2003. The moneyed elitism that has come with the recent influx of tech wealth has changed it so much. The gritty Polk Street I lived next to for almost 10 years has become a tech bro's paradise of sleek bars and boxing gyms and health food stores. I don't know that I recognize the foggy, romantic, pretty little city I loved so much and for so long.

And the truth is, it's a different season of life. I'm leaving closer to age 40 than age 20, with a really beautiful husband and a really beautiful son, two unexpected gifts that San Francisco has bequeathed to me. We'll start a new chapter, and, perhaps most importantly, be near family as we age.

Last week, Paul lost his father to a heartbreakingly sudden bout with brain cancer. It has been a sobering and shattering reminder that we never know how long we have with one another. Death is this strange and unwelcome guest with no regard for our own schedules and expectations.

In April 2005, I flew back to Nebraska to say goodbye to my own father. We knew the cancer would take him soon. My siblings and my mother and I gathered around his hospice bed in the family room one last time. In that shimmering instant — I can still picture it so clearly — I realized: family is the only thing that matters. At the end of the day, when your body gives out, when your mind is too tired to go on, your house, your car, your job, your awards; none of them matter.

Family is it. Nothing else.
And you only get one shot to do it right.

So you take a leap. You leave your established life behind and begin anew, knowing there's nothing you can really count on in terms of time.

Mariah and I have a long-term vision for opening our own yoga/dance/wellness center. She's a fantastic dance therapist and modern dancer, and with my yoga and mindfulness work, we have the potential and the passion to create something really special. We're excited. That will birth itself in time.

In the meantime, please make your way to a class or two before I head out. I'd love to see you and sing with you and sweat with you. I'll be teaching my full schedule at Flying Studios until August 11th (away a couple of dates traveling — just keep an eye on the calendar for that info). I'll also be subbing a couple of Monday nights (the 13th and 20th, to be exact). And I'm planning to lead one final yoga/hiking retreat in Point Reyes, too, on August 8th. Stay tuned for details to come.

Lots of love to you all. We've built relationships here that will be dear to me for the rest of my days. (You know who you are.)

Here at dreams come genuine http://www.jennygurgaonescorts.in/ :- Best High Profile Call Girls Service in Gurgaon we take brilliant delight inside the truth that each one of our clients who e book our Gurgaon escorts always come back for greater and the reason for that is that we simplest have the best Gurgaon escorts in Gurgaon.

Chandigarh Escort Service Welcome to the Chandigarh Escort Service the top notch attractions in the top city events. If you have ever joined a VIP event, night colossal social affairs in Chandigarh you know the way of model young women setting off to the limit..

Escort service in Chandigarh Encouraged towards love's heaven. I'm among the sensuous and excessively appealing sensual buddies. I'm younger girl and 23 yrs old nice. I'm wanting to possess friendship using profile individuals that are high. I'll function as the identical using any age bracket including youthful, older, middle-age bracket individuals, etc. since I'm not really a sex-worker that is cheap.

Ludhiana escort Ludhiana escort meet new and best escorts service supplier in Ludhiana which offers just most recent models partners at sensible cost. Our principle witticism is consumer loyalty with 100% quality service. You are survey Escorts in Ludhiana site and most welcome for perusing our substance. Do you envision that female escorts in Ludhiana, similar to your Girlfriend is simply organization with you? Yes. Our everything Ludhiana are GFE buddies for you. We just arrangements in new experienced Ludhiana young ladies in our organization.

Chandigarh Escort Service I am Divya Rana– one of the main autonomous Chandigarh Escorts. I have parcel numerous motivations to be valued, cherished and discussed. You should stop your pursuit here on the off chance that you are looking for excellent, astonishing, sizzling and hot friend who can bolster you in your desolate and singular days of broken relationship

Chandigarh call grils service I'm chatty, grinning and really fairly girl who usually like create and to perk my friend satisfying using my actions that are adorable I'm stylish and really attractive by my character. I really like to use custom ensemble which suits to my character. I'm really keen on sporting sexy and brief gowns, which could excite males in moments. When I am really unpleasant and fun character and usually wanting to provide my most anytime and where-ever you want regarding it.before starting mini-skirt without internal dons and brief covers are my choice. The Independent Chandigarh Escorts that are big like myself, you are able to never discover using any Chandigarh call grils service Providers.

I’m Simi Rathore and that I am a luxury Independent Gurgaon escorts for prime category gentlemen.The Gurgaon Escort service hosts a large number of women for the purpose of escorting these business men around the city. These women are either independent or advertised through these agencies. Most of these women are well-educated and highly intelligent. They can provide good company to business people and can maintain a smart business conversation with the community. These are well communicated women who can speak a number of languages very soundly. Briefly recapitulating, female escorts in Gurgaon are highly proficient in their job of escorting and can deliver highly efficient service proportional to the amount of money paid for their services.

Panchkula Escort In the cheapest cost on the market, we provide the very best Panchkula Escort Service at. We've a great deal of girls within our group who take the time to quietly satisfy the person in anyone.

Welcome to the Mohali escorts the top notch attractions in the top city events. If you have ever joined a VIP event, night colossal social affairs in Mohali you know the way of model young women setting off to the limit..

CaLL suzie.in - 09118181868 BADe-BaDe-BoObBs-TiGtY-MaL Lucknow Escort, Call Girls, Lucknow Escort ServiceS, It has been for a while, that's entertaining as well as interesting things to consider are different kinds of And it is the way through which some of the wonderful things can be found together. As the main source of entertainment as well as Suzie Lucknow Escort Pleasant service content only found in the city is said to be Meaning there is increased importance of far broader escorting services. It's best to enjoy meaningful content which means that some of the different source As well as entertainment which is why do some wonderful things that have been found to be in existence yet. CaLL suzie.in - 09118181868 Lucknow call Monika 9118181868 Monika Call:- 7O7I3489O3http://24callgirls.com/

She is accomplished younger woman and conduct of her with their select buyer is fairly first rate. Clients do return when they get excellent superb management. A few escorts agencies are furnish just confined service as indicated by using span and close however she hate that, she is right here to unwind your Genius but at some point it depends on upon customers what they simply want like unwinding, amusing, to head on lengthy runs, cultural gatherings, wedding ceremony and any activities. Free escorts in Chandigarh work for the consumer in appropriate a way that makes them incredibly unique from specific escorts businesses.

We have biggest collection of Local Aerocity , Delhi, Indian as well as overseas beauties so you enjoy the perfect body, sexual skills and sensual services of these ladies at your home, a hotel room, disc, clubs, pubs or our private luxury apartments Aerocity Escorts

If you have come from the West and you are captivated by the Asian beauty, in that case, we make sure that you get the best Call Girls in Mahipalpur to help you taste the Asian flavor in the best way. At Mahipalpur, we make sure that you are getting one heck of an experience with our girls. So, no matter whether it is official meeting or bachelor party, we are there for all your needs. Visit:- Here

Do you need a Call Girls in Gurgaon to give you the real pleasure of your life, well, if you revert in affirmative, in that case, you are at the right place. We are a stupendous track record of providing the best girls that would completely take the evening of yours by storm, so to avail them all you need to do is just call and we will provide the best at the right price. Visit:- Here

A young lady with stunning looks will make you the focal point of the fascination in numerous spots, when she is with you. We ensure that you won't dither to take our Bangalore escorts with you to the spots you need to. Our young ladies can give you both in-get and out-call Bangalore escort benefit in light of your vision and decision. http://www.callgirlsinbangalore.info/